6. Poseidon P-8A, India
Produced by: Boeing
Principal Users: Royal Air Force, RAAF, US Navy, and Indian Navy
Program Cost (FY2013): $33.638 billion*
Cost per unit: $256.5 million* (acquisition expenses for FY2015)
The P-8 Poseidon, originally the Multimission Maritime Aircraft, is a Boeing-built variant of the 737-800ERX. Its primary operators are the Royal Air Force, the Indian Navy, the U.S. Navy, and the Royal Australian Air Force. The P-8 aircraft is utilized for several purposes, such as interdiction, anti-submarine warfare, and anti-surface warfare.
P-8A Poseidon (India) Twitter.com/@areamilitarof
The P-8 is equipped with torpedoes, glide bombs (which can drop a bomb from up to 30,000 feet), and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. It also has a HAAWC ALA that can convert a Mark 54 torpedo into a glide bomb. Both the avionics and the armaments of the P-8 are better than those of the P-3. It also provides a more tranquil flight with reduced turbulence and emissions.
Among the P-8A Poseidon’s derivatives is a modified P-8, which was intended to take the place of the E-8s. The U.S. would utilize the derivative. The Air Force would be equipped with SAR, GMTI, and AESA radar. Additionally, it would be equipped with a radar pod that would keep the engine nacelles out of its field of view.
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